The Web's #1 Family Resource forAfrican-American Swimmers

May 2019 TABONO Competitive Swim Skills Clinic Details

The TABONO Clinic Tenants

STRENGTH

Elite swimmers are able to hold proper form for long distances while moving at top speed. Swimmers will practice warm-up drills with heavy emphasis on correct mechanics and body position to increase muscle strength and improve stroke technique.

CONFIDENCE

Confidence during a race (and in life) is a byproduct of knowing you have what it takes to win. Swimmers will benefit from two-hours of intense technical coaching from four highly successful swim coaches working on perfecting starts, turns and self-motivation strategies.

PERSISTENCE

Champions aren’t made overnight. The TABONO Competitive Swim Skills Clinic will motivate swimmers to love the sport and continue training hard to develop into the very best swimmers they can be. Parents and swimmers will hear from African-American swimmers, coaches, nutritionists, and personal trainers who are dedicated to increasing Black participation in competitive swimming.

DRY LAND

Joseph Koroma will lead parents and swimmers in a dynamic circuit training regimen ideal for young swimmers to implement during the swim season. The class will include exercises for strength training, flexibility, and injury prevention.

NUTRITION

Baba Beynu will lead a hands-on demonstration of "food combining techniques." Parents will learn how to create meals that provide young swimmers with optimal energy for increased brain activity, recovery and muscle development. The class will emphasize sources of protein, whole food carbohydrates, healthy fats, and immune system protection.

PRIDE

History teaches us that African people were skilled swimmers and divers centuries ago. The first written account of the crawl or freestyle referred to West Africans in Senegal and Ghana. Swimming and excelling in the water is a part of African history and competitive swimming is a part of the African diaspora's legacy. Swimmers will be reminded that the Black Swim community expects excellence; Black swimmers will be honorable and courageous both in the pool and in life.

Meet Our Coaches

Salim King

Salim King is the Assistant Coach for Howard University’s Swim and Dive Team. He enjoys working with the current crop of distance swimmers as they help move the Bison to new heights.

Salim is the former head swim coach for Central High School in Maryland, where he produced the school’s first all-state swimmer.

A native of Hempstead, New York, Salim attended Hempstead High School (1993-97). He was a member of the swimming and diving team. Heavily recruited, Salim decided to attend Howard University where he was both a school record holder in the 1650-yard freestyle and the team captain. After graduation, Salim taught for Prince George’s County Public Schools and offered private swim lessons to friends and family. He desired to begin coaching on a larger and more competitive scale and went on to coach the Kingfish Swim team in the Prince-Mount swim league for two seasons. As head coach, King led the Kingfish to a 14-2 combined record before being offered an opportunity to return to his alma mater.

Marcus Fitts

Marcus Fitts is the Founder and President of District Triathlon, a non-profit organization on a mission to encourage, inspire, support and increase the participation of people of color in triathlon and endurance sports.

Marcus and District Triathlon members promote healthy lifestyles, and uplift communities in DC and the Washington metropolitan area. A competitive swimmer, Marcus was the captain of his high school varsity swim team and earned a college athletic scholarship to swim in the NAIA for Savannah College of Art and Design. He served as the head swim coach for Northwestern High Schools for 5 seasons. He is a USA Triathlon Level 1 certified coach.

Beynu Osagyefo

Beynu Osagyefo (Baba Beynu) is an educator, nutritionist, and a Swim Dad.

His philosophy is to challenge the body and engage the mind: “The pain is just weakness transformed to strength, when times get hard we go harder, think smarter, (life principle) say be like water.”(Sticman Let It Burn)

Yolanda Baylor

Yolanda Baylor is the Assistant swim coach for Charles Herbert Flowers High School in Springdale, MD and the swim coordinator for District Triathlon.

This year her team had the best season in the school’s history as the men’s team won 2ndplace in the Prince George’s County Championship Meet and 3rdplace in the 4A/3A regional meet.

Yolanda began swimming competitively at the age of 7, as part of the historic Theresa Banks Swim Club. She went on to swim for Charles Herbert Flowers High School where she broke every swim record and captured the school’s first 50 meter Freestyle title. She received a full Athletic Swimming scholarship to Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University in Tallahassee, FL where she excelled in freestyle and backstroke events.

“The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender” – Vince Lombardi

Joseph S. Koroma

Joseph S. Koroma, MaxFit, has more than twelve years experience preparing individuals and teams to be elite athletes.

He develops customized speed, conditioning, strength and power regimens for amateur and professional athletes to improve athletic performance. Joseph is the former MVP for the Pensacola Barracudas Arena Football team and served as a Sergeant in the Army Reserves. He holds the National Strength Professionals Association (NSPA) and American Council on Exercise (ACE) certifications.

Corey Wallace

Coach Corey Wallace has coached the Senior Age/Advanced Group for Nations Capital Swim Club in Prince George’s County Maryland since 2001. His swimmers have participated in the Eastern Zone Age Group Championships as well as Metros (Washington Metropolitan Interscholastic Swimming and Diving Championship Meet).

Corey also coaches the seven-time Division A Championship team of Theresa Banks Swim Club, in the Prince-Mont Summer Swim League (PMSL). As a young swimmer, Corey swam for DC Parks and Recreation.